rank

n. In military organizations, the inverse representation of intelligence.

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n. Relative elevation in the scale of human worth.

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Cynical Quotations

Language can be very instructive based on the commonality of meaning of certain word. Take the word 'rank'. In one sense it represents the hierarchy of status for humans. It also means smelly or odiferous. We routinely observe that people of higher rank become more rank, thus confirming the shared origin of the word.

— Guy Smith

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